A blast of cold air is an absolute treat on a hot day. But it can get expensive to run all summer long without smart air conditioning control.
Have you ever wondered how to make your air conditioner smart? It may be simpler to get smart home cooling than you think.
Smart thermostats for AC make it possible to live comfortably, even on the hottest days, without breaking the bank.
What is Smart Air Conditioning Control?
Most traditional AC units are controlled by a panel directly on the air conditioner or by an LCD remote. Physically getting up to turn off your AC unit when it’s finally comfortable can feel like such a chore. And remotes only work at certain distances. This can lead to running your AC far longer than necessary and wasting precious energy.
But, smart air conditioning control makes it possible to manage AC units from anywhere using your phone. Control your air conditioner from your couch, another room, and even when you’re not at home. That means no more wasting energy or coming home to a stuffy room! If you’ve ever wondered how to control your air conditioner efficiently, a smart AC device is the answer.
Smart AC Units vs Smart AC Controllers
Smart air conditioners have built-in WiFi technology, so the unit can connect to a smartphone app. This gives users full smart AC control. Users can adjust temperature, fan speed, and turn their AC on and off, right from their phone. Smart AC units have other great features like temperature scheduling, geofencing, and connection with smart assistants like Alexa. If you’ve ever wondered how to control your air conditioner with your phone, a smart WiFi AC unit is an option.
But, if you already have an air conditioner, no sweat! You can still have the convenience of a smart home air conditioning system without having to purchase a brand new smart AC unit. An external smart AC controller will give you all the same smart control without breaking the bank.
External smart AC controllers, smart air conditioner remote controllers, and smart thermostats for air conditioners are all different terms for the same thing. These devices pair with your AC to replace your existing LCD remote and use WiFi to control your AC via infrared signals. Essentially, it’s a smart upgrade for LCD remotes that control air conditioners.
Simply put, smart AC units have built-in smart technology, and smart AC controllers are external devices that make your existing AC units smart. Either way, you get the same smart air conditioning control!
How External Smart AC Controllers Work
Smart air conditioning controllers are small devices that pair with an existing AC unit to get smart control. Essentially, it’s a WiFi air conditioner remote control that can be controlled from your phone.
These smart devices are easy to install and help you save energy, save money, and live more comfortably. Smart AC controllers are easily programmed to replace LCD remotes, making your window air conditioner, portable air conditioner, or mini-split heat pump smart.
Like other smart home devices, smart air conditioning controllers can be managed by your voice assistant, and scheduled to keep your home comfortable 24/7. Other smart AC control features include geofencing, humidity sensors, and tracking of your AC usage (which can help lower your electricity bill!).
How to Make Any AC Smart
If you own a portable, window, or mini-split/heat pump AC unit without built-in smart technology, you can still have smart air conditioning control. Setting up a new smart AC controller is quick and easy. It’s like programming a universal smart remote to your air conditioner. We’ve broken down the process into three simple steps.
1. Find the Best Smart AC Controller for Your Home
First and foremost, you have to choose a smart air conditioning controller that’s compatible with your home and other smart home devices. There are many options in the smart AC controller market. So, it’s key to think about your AC unit and what features are most important to you.
Three things to consider when finding the best smart AC thermostat for your home are:
Compatibility with your AC unit and your smart assistant
Complete home temperature control
Competition
Compatibility With Your AC Unit
As with all smart products, compatibility is important to get right. Mysa has an online compatibility checker that makes it easy to see if our product is compatible with your AC unit. When considering other brands, make sure to look for similar resources.
Compatibility With Your Smart Assistant
Compatibility with your other smart home devices is something else to think about. If you’re hoping to control your air conditioning with Alexa, then it’s important to choose a smart AC controller that integrates with Alexa. And the same can be said for Google Home, Homekit, and other smart home systems.
Complete Home Temperature Control in One App
It could also be helpful to look for a smart AC controller that works with your existing smart thermostats for heating. For example, Mysa makes smart thermostats for electric heating and for AC, so you can control your home’s electric heating and cooling together in one app. This helps ensure that your heating and cooling devices work together to keep you comfortable without wasting energy.
Compare Competition
Then it comes down to what smart air conditioning control benefits and features are most important to you. This could be things like warranty and infrared (IR) range.
A longer IR range means better comfort since you can place your AC controller closer to you, while still being within range of your AC unit. Or maybe product warranty is important to you to protect your investment.
Some brands also offer other unique benefits. For example, since helping homeowners save energy is important to us, Mysa offers a 1-Year Energy Savings Guarantee.
2. ‘Install’ Your Smart AC Controller
‘Installing’ an external smart AC controller is actually quite simple; you just have to plug the device into an outlet. Just keep in mind that the outlet you choose will have to be close to your air conditioner and have a direct line of sight (i.e. there are no walls or anything that could block signals). This allows the IR signal from your AC controller to reach your AC unit.
Most smart AC thermostats can be mounted on a wall or kept nearby on a side table.
For better smart air conditioning control, we recommend keeping your smart AC thermostat on a table close to the room’s main seating area. This allows for better comfort since the device can measure room temperature close to you (instead of by a wall that’s further away). Essentially, the closer the controller is to you, the better the temperature reading. But, it does come down to personal preference. Our Mysa Smart Thermostat for Air Conditioners comes with both a tabletop stand and adhesive strips for wall mounting, so you have both options. If you’re looking for ways to hide the cord of your smart AC controller, taping the USB cable to a table leg is an easy tip. If you choose to mount your AC to the wall, it is possible to drill a small hole and route the USB cable through your wall to an outlet. However, this could require a professional.
3. Pair Your Smart AC Controller & Set Your Temperature Preferences
Next, it’s time to pair your smart AC thermostat to your phone and set your temperature preferences. The pairing process can differ a little, depending on the product that you choose. But, generally, it involves selecting your AC unit, entering your brand, and turning your existing LCD remote on and off. This helps your smart AC controller learn the right commands and codes.
With Mysa, pairing is simple. Users download the Mysa app, create an account, and follow the step-by-step instructions in the app. You can get full smart air conditioning control in minutes! If you have any questions along the way, we have a Customer Experience team ready to help. From there, it’s just a matter of setting your temperature preferences. You can use Scheduling to customize your AC to your daily schedule, hour-by-hour. Geofencing can be used to automatically turn your AC on or off, based on how close you are to your home. Plus a ton of other great features.
And, of course, you can monitor your AC and make changes any time, anywhere with your phone. With smart air conditioning, you have complete online AC control, which comes with many benefits.
7 Benefits of Smart AC Control
Having smart WiFi air conditioner control comes with many advantages. In case you need a little more convincing, here are seven benefits of smart air conditioning control.
1. Remote Temperature Control
A smart thermostat for your window or portable air conditioner makes it possible to manage your home’s cooling from anywhere with an Internet connection. If you’ve ever wondered how to control AC temperature from your phone, smart home AC is the answer.
With smart AC WiFi control, you can start your air conditioner while picking up dinner to arrive at a comfortable home. Or you can turn it off remotely if you forget to before leaving for the day. You can even control your air conditioner while on vacation to make sure you’re not wasting electricity.
2. AC Scheduling
Rather than turning your AC on and off each day, air conditioner remote control app schedules automatically keep your home at the perfect temperature. Simply create a personalized schedule in the app — now that’s smart AC control!
Schedules can be set on an hour-by-hour basis to fit your unique lifestyle. For example, you can schedule your AC to start before your morning routine, or after your home workout. If you leave home for work, you can schedule your AC to turn off and start again before you’re home. You can even set overnight schedules for a better night's sleep.
3. Smart Home Integration
Smart AC thermostats give you complete smart home air conditioner control and work with your existing smart devices.
If you use a smart home assistant like Google Home, Alexa, or Siri, it’s important to choose a smart AC controller that works with it. For example, if you like Apple products, you’ll need a compatible smart air conditioner controller for HomeKit.
With a smart AC device, you can add smart air conditioning control to your smart home themes. If you’re having a party, you can use a smart assistant to simultaneously adjust lighting, turn on the AC, and play your favourite playlist.
Smart AC controllers can also work with smart heating thermostats for full climate-control. For example, Mysa makes smart thermostats for AC, underfloor heating, and baseboard heating. So, users can control their heating and cooling in the same app!
4. Shared Access
Smart air conditioner controllers also enable shared access, so everyone in your home can control their own space. This can come in handy if you’re having guests stay with you too.
Shared access is also great for managers of rental properties and AirBnBs. With smart AC thermostats installed at each rental space, they can be managed from a single app. Owners can share guest access and monitor their usage or maintain control themselves.
5. Energy Conservation
Air conditioning can use a lot of electricity, especially if you use it regularly. So, using smart air conditioning control can help you save big on your electricity bill.
Simple things like turning off your AC while you’re not home and making small temperature changes can have a big impact. And with smart home air conditioner control, all the work is done for you! Smart AC app features make it easy to reduce your home energy consumption. Mysa for AC even has a feature that locks your AC unit, so it can only be operated using the app. This is a great way to maintain AC usage and avoid excessive cooling.
6. Track Your AC Usage
Energy Charting is another great benefit of smart AC control. This is an app feature that allows you to see how long your AC unit is cooling. You can use this information to make changes in your AC schedule and to your home to help you save even more. For example, if you’re running AC for a longer time in a certain room, it could be a sign that window sealing or insulation should be upgraded.
7. Healthier Living
Indoor air quality is important for your general health. AC filters help protect you from dust, pollen, mould, and other air particles that can cause allergy flare-ups and other health concerns. So, it’s important to clean and change your AC filter regularly. But it’s hard to keep track of AC maintenance. With smart air conditioning control, you can get reminder notifications right to your phone when it’s time to clean your filter! WiFi air conditioner control also helps maintain humidity, so your home is always comfortable. Sensors measure humidity levels, and you can set rules that turn your AC on or off to reach a comfortable level. Automated indoor climate control leads to a healthier, happier family.
Get Smart About Your Home Cooling
Smart air conditioning control helps you save on your electricity bill without sacrificing comfort. If you have an air conditioner and you’re wondering how to make your AC smart, a smart AC controller is the answer.
Whether you need a smart air conditioner controller for your mini-split, a smart thermostat for your window AC, or a smart controller for your portable AC unit, there’s a solution out there for you!
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